Driving mechanism for a washing machine



Oct. 20, 1936. HUME 2,057,896

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR A WASHING MACHINE Fi led Nov. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 15 61 J16 Z49 if 759 5 m- I H i a; I E mi ggw i 27 r in mt 107 ;i ]06- 1*; 2 I i J1.9 v 10 (91 Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVING MECHANISM FOR A WASHING MACHINE Application November 13, 1930, Serial No. 495,445

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in washing and drying machines and its purpose is to provide an improved machine comprising means for Washing the clothes and also means for drying them after they have been washed. The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved washing machine having a tub wherein the clothes are washed and comprising a clothes agitating device therein for agitating theclothes during the washing operation, in combination with a separate rotary drying basket, wherein the c'lothesare dried, and which is adapted to be driven at a relatively high speed so that the water is extracted from the clothes by centrifugal force. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved machine comprising a vessel adapted to contain the clothes during the washing operation and comprising an agitating device in combination with a rotary drying basket mounted above said device in said vessel and arranged to permit clothes to be inserted into and withdrawn from said vessel around its outer edge. A further object of the invention is to provide'a'n improved means comprising a reciprocatory. clothes agitating device and a rotary drying basket in combination with operating mechanism of an improved form for imparting a reciprocatory motion to the agitator and a high speed'rotary motion to the clothes drying basket. Still another object is to provide a machine of the kind referred to embodying improved operating and controlling mechanism whereby the rotation of the clothes drying basket and the reciprocation of the clothes agitator maybe controlled independently of I each other at the will of the operator. A further object is to provide improved means for mounting the driving mechanism and the actuating motor of the machine. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a central vertical section through the improved washing and drying machine of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a detail elevation of the looking plate by which one of the operating levers of the machine is secured in a predetermined position;

Fig. 3 shows a detail vertical section, illustrating, in particular, the means for controlling the rotation of the clothes drying basket;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section taken on the line I4l4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line l5-l5 of Fig. 4.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the supporting frame of the machine comprises a housing 20 comprising three outwardly directed arm portions 20 to which the supporting legs 2| are secured or with which they are integrally formed. The legs 2| are provided at their lower ends with casters 22 adapted to revolve about vertical axes and comprising rollers which rest upon the floor or other support 23. The outer ends of the arm portions 20 of the housing are secured to a cylindrical frame member 24 which may preferably be formed of sheet metal or the like and which extends downwardly so as to partially enclose the housing 20 and parts carried thereby. The housing 20 is adapted to contain the driving mechanism of the machine and the upper portion 20 thereof is removable, upon removal of the cap screws 21, so that access may be had to the parts within the housing.

The frame structure described above is adapted to support the washing tub or vessel 30. Within the upper part of the washing tub 30, there is located the clothes drying basket 40. A hollow vertical center-post projects below the bottom of the tub and extends upwardly therein to a point adjacent the bottom of the drying basket 40. The cover portion 20 of the housing is provided with an upwardly extending central hub '46 which is closely fitted by that portion of the center post 45 which extends beneath the bottom of the tub.

' Around the center post 45 within the tub 30, there is located the clothes agitator 5|. This agitator is adapted to revolve about the center post 45 and may preferably have a reciprocatory motion in order that the clothes may be more effectively agitated within the tub. The agitator 5| is actuated by a driving tube 52 which extends upwardly within the center post 45. The tube 52 is spaced from the center post at its lower end by a bushing 53, within which it revolves.

A driving shaft 6| for the basket 40 is located within the hollow driving tube 52. At its lower end, the shaft Bl is rotatably mounted within a pinion 66 which has an upwardly extending hub 66 secured to the lower end of the driving tube 52 which is driven thereby. The pinion 66 is located within the upper part of the housing 20 and the shaft 6| extends downwardly beneath this pinion with its lower end journaled within a gear 67 by which the shaft is driven for the purpose of rotating the basket. The drying basket 40 is adapted to be driven at a relatively high speed through the driving shaft BI by means of the spiral gear 61, heretofore referred to, which is actuated directly by the spiral pinion 8I. This spiral pinion is provided with a depending hub 61* which is journaled in a bearing I05 formed in the lower Wall of the casing 20. A washer I06 is interposed between the bearing I05 and the lower face of the gear to receive the downward thrust transmitted to the gear and the gear is centrally apertured to receive the lower end of the shaft 6| which is journaled therein. In order to provide a driving connection between the gear 61 and the shaft 6|, when desired, a horizontal friction disc III? is fixed on the shaft SI immediately above the gear. The lower face of this disc is adapted to contact, when the shaft 6I is in its lowermost position, with a plurality of friction blocks I08, formed of cork or the like, which are secured in recesses I09 formed in the upper face of the gear. Small apertures H0 communicate with these recesses from the under side of the gear to facilitate the removal of the blocks when desired. The friction blocks project above the upper face of the gear and contact with the lower face of the disc so that a driving connection is thereby established to cause the basket 40 to be rotated at a sufficiently high speed to effect the removal of the moisture from the clothes by centrifugal force.

In order to disconnect the driving gear 61 and the disc IO'I to arrest the rotation of the basket, means are provided for elevating the disk I 01, along with the shaft 6! and the basket, by means applied to the lower end of the shaft. This elevating means, shown particularly in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, comprises an actuating lever H5 which projects through an opening in the one side of the circular frame member 24 and which extends above the housing 20 with its inner ends pivoted at II 6 upon a bracket I I! which is formed integrally with the housing. At a point adjacent the bracket Hi, the lever H5 bears upon a cap H8 which is mounted upon the upper end of a. pin IIQ. A coil spring I20 is interposed between the cap H8 and the boss I2I which is formed on'the housing so that the pin II9 tends normally to resume its uppermost position. The pin H9 extends downwardly through the housing, as shown in Fig. 13, with its lower rounded end seated within a recess I 22 which is formed in one end of a lever I22. This lever is pivoted on a pin I23 which extends between a pair of ears I24 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the housing, and the end of the lever opposite the pin I I9 is provided with another recess I22 in which there is mounted a spherical ball I25. This ball contacts directly with the lower end of the shaft 6| so that when the lever I22 is rocked about its pivot by the depression of the pin H9, the shaft GI and disc III! are elevated, thereby moving the disc IIiI out of engagement with the friction blocks I08 which are carried by the gear 61. The driving connection to the shaft BI is thus broken and, in order to hold the shaft and the connected basket 40 stationary during this time, the housing 20 is provided with a transversely extending bar I26, provided with recesses I25 in which there are mounted friction blocks I21, of cork or the like, having their lower parts projecting below the bar so that they are adapted to engage the upper side of the disc IB'I when the disc and shaft BI are elevated. The disc is then held against rotation so that .the basket 40 is prevented from rotating during the time that the drying operation is not being carried on. In order that the disc I0! may-be held in the elevated'position which has just been described, the annular frame member 24 of the machine is provided adjacent the actuating lever I I5 with a plate I30 having a slot I30 through whichtheiouter portion of the lever extends, as shown in Fig. 3. One side of this slot is provided with a notch I3I having an overhanging tooth I32 on the side thereof so that when the lever I I5 has been depressed, it may be moved laterally and caused to engage the notch I3I so that it is thereby held in that position corresponding to' the positioniwherein the disc' I01 engages the stationary friction block I 21.

The driving mechanism for imparting an OS- cillatory motion to the clothes agitator, is described and claimed in my copending applica tion Serial No. 338,456, filed February 8, 1929.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments within-the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: The combination in driving mechanism for a washing machine, of a frame adapted for supporting a tub, a housing carried by said frame, a gear journaled in said housing, a vertical shaft having said gear rotatably mounted thereon, a friction disk secured on said shaft, a friction block mounted on said gear and adapted to en'- gage said disk, a lever pivotally mounted in said housing and carrying a part engaging the lower end of said shaft, a pin slidably mounted in said housing and engaging said lever, and an operating lever engaging said pin and extending to the side of said frame to permit the operator to actuate said first named lever to reciprocate said shaft.

JOHN T. HUME. 

